Billionaire politician Manny Villar invests in Malacanang bid

Dark clouds covered the usually clear skies of Surigao del Norte one early Tuesday morning, bringing rain that surprised the residents including Governor Robert Ace Barbers, who were used to the humid weather in the province. The rain also resulted in zero sky visibility, preventing the Lear jet carrying Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Senator Manuel Villar Jr. and his party mates from landing at the airport where Barbers, local officials, and supporters were waiting for the group. The aircraft was only given permit to land more than an hour later. Because of the delay, Villar and other NP candidates had to hurry up as a full day of activities awaited them: a market tour, a mini-rally, caucus with local officials, and oath-taking of new NP members to be held at different locations in Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur. Some of the destinations would take up to four hours by land, but the NP candidates managed to go to each activity in minutes via chopper.

Air travel is the most convenient, although definitely not cheaper, way for those who want to maximize time like Villar, who goes home everyday even if he is in far-flung provinces. (The senator’s staff refused to say how much they spent for fuel and if the aircraft were rented or owned by Villar.) Villar’s campaign schedule usually starts at around 8 or 9 in the morning, when he arrives from Manila to any given destination. His days ends around 6 in the evening if he leaves on board a Lear jet, or 4 in the afternoon if he takes a chopper. Family man The senator wants to be with his family every evening. He values his family more than anything in the world, and this was evident in his answers during the GMA News and Public Affairs program Kandidato when asked what makes him happy. “Marami akong mga pagkakataon na masaya ako pero karamihan ng aking ligaya o saya ay may kinalaman sa aking pamilya," he said. The happiest moments in his life were the birth of his children and family gatherings during Christmas and New Year. “Simula nung ipanganak yung panganay ko magkasama na kami sa Pasko at Bagong Taon. Hindi pa kami naghihiwalay ng buong pamilya, kaya ‘yan ay regular at hindi nawawala. Dun kami masaya sa mga oras na yun," he said. Villar has three children – Paolo, Mark and Camille – with his wife Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Aguilar Villar, whom he asserts is his first and only girlfriend. Camille, 25, was the most visible in the NP campaign and the most vocal among the siblings in defending their dad, who is hounded by corruption issues. “Ang dad ko naman hindi siya masamang tao. Kami rin naman hindi kami masamang tao. If I was half as hard working as my dad and half as good a parent as my dad I would consider myself a good person," she said in an interview with GMA News. Sipag at tiyaga? Villar often attributes the fortune his family is now enjoying to sipag at tiyaga. One of the country’s most successful real state developers, the senator was named as Forbes Magazine’s ninth richest Filipino in 2009, with a net worth of $530 million. The second in a brood of nine, Villar was born to a simple family in Moriones, Tondo. His father, Manuel Sr., was a government employee while his mother, Curita, was a shrimp dealer. Villar has often said he learned how to be an entrepreneur from his mother, because he was the one helping her sell their wares at the Divisoria Market. In 1962, the Villars transferred to San Rafael Village in Balut from their rented house in Moriones, which they shared with their relatives, through a loan secured by their father from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). Critics have since deemed the senator’s rags-to-riches story as incredulous, and an in-depth report by GMANews.TV has indeed proven that the Villars were not as poor as the senator claims they were in the past. Villar’s rise in the economic ladder has also been questioned, with his rivals releasing documents showing his alleged use of influence to promote his business interests. One of the crucial issues thrown Villar’s way was the C-5 road extension project that allegedly benefited his real estate properties. The issue was first raised by the senator’s critics two years ago, when he confirmed his decision to run for president. Senator Loren Legarda was part of the group that pushed the filing of complaint against him. Senator Ma Ana Consuelo Madrigal, now an independent presidential candidate, filed the ethics complaint against Villar which was heard by all members of the Senate convening as a Committee of the Whole. Villar refused to participate in the proceedings, calling it “persecution" as those who accused him are the same persons who will judge him. Before the Committee of the Whole handed down its decision, however, 12 senators including Legarda, currently Villar’s running mate, signed a resolution clearing him of the charges. Some senators later backtracked and supported the decision of the committee. The committee report found that there was substantial evidence to prove Villar is a major stockholder of Adelfa Properties Inc., which owns Golden Haven Memorial Park and Azalea Real Estate Corporation (now Britanny Corporation), and was the proponent of the Las Piñas-Parañaque Link Road project and the government's C-5 road extension project. It said the road projects were made to pass through the properties of the corporations of Villar following a curved, instead of a straight, alignment. It also said that the alignment of the C-5 road extension segment of the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway Project had to be changed just to accommodate the alignments of the Las Piñas-Parañaque and C-5 extension projects. Villar's corporations allegedly received road right-of-way compensation and still have unpaid claims. The report said the properties of Villar that were acquired were given zonal valuation for different areas, thus increasing the compensation due them. Other land and corporate issues have hounded Villar during his campaign. He was accused of land grabbing for allegedly forcing residents to give up their property to his real estate firms in places like Savannah, Iloilo and Norzagaray, Bulacan. At the Philippine Stock Exchange, the senator was accused of “arm-twisting" for the public listing of his companies, an allegation denied by both Villar and PSE officials. At the same time, the senator has been criticized for his seemingly inexhaustible fund source, allegedly from the initial public offering of his company Vista Land. Black propaganda? Such issues have dragged down Villar’s performance in pre-election surveys. Analysts have attributed this trend to his failure to answer the issues head on, with the senator’s denials seemingly unable to convince the electorate. Villar claims that “black propaganda" has taken a toll on his campaign. He has vowed to change his campaign strategy, but either he has not done it yet or his new strategy is not effective. Villar has denied spending more than what is allowed, even as he says he had to exert more effort to introduce himself to the public. He likes to say he needs to level the playing field because he has no popular parents or siblings, apparently referring to front-runner Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III. The senator became more popular through his catchy jingle, ‘Naging Mahirap,’ which has versions in regional languages that are played whenever Villar visits the provinces. His survey ratings went up when the jingle was first played, but it soon lost its appeal when the public got used to it. NP party loyalty Despite Villar’s decreasing survey ratings, the NP believes they will be victorious on May 10 because of their political machinery. As early as last year, the senator had been wooing local officials and candidates to NP, one of the country’s oldest political parties which was revived under his leadership. Thousands of local officials from other parties, mostly from the Liberal Party and Lakas-Kampi, have since switched to NP. Villar’s network of workers includes the staff of his housing companies in various parts of the country, which helps the party organize its sorties. The senator has three popular endorsers – comedy king Dolphy, television host Willie Revillame, and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao - who have been criticized as ‘womanizers.' Villar also got the endorsement of hairdressing guru and self-styled millionaire Ricky Reyes; the two boast of their rags-to-riches story. The NP bet boasts of getting support from all fronts, as he and some party mates were endorsed by the military-backed Magdalo group; militant groups Kabataan, Gabriela, and Bayan Muna; and the two factions of Guardians – the Philippine Guardians Brotherhood Inc. headed by Sen. Gregorio Honasan II and Guardians Brotherhood Inc. founded by the late military rebel leader Billy Bibit. P20 for street children Despite his status as a peso billionaire, Villar retains his simple ways. He still uses cheap “Good Morning" towels, the ones used by drivers and construction workers. He craves for his favorite snacks, nilagang camote and saging, and usually finishes the last morsel of food on his plate. The senator says street children and those from poor families have a special place in his heart, the reason they were part of his infomercials, because he sees himself in them. During his market visit in Batangas, he even gave out P20 bills to street children supposedly to buy camote, but was construed as vote buying. If elected president, Villar vowed to strengthen the country’s primary education, as many school-age children are not able to graduate even from elementary. He recalls that he once thought of dropping out to give him more time to help his mother in Divisoria. Market visits are a staple in the NP campaign to highlight the senator’s connection with vendors. Learning from his experience, Villar vows to continue advocating quality education and entrepreneurship even if he loses in the elections. – YA, GMANews.TV